Residential electronics and control standards provide an opportunity for a variety of options for securing, monitoring, and automating residences. Wireless protocols for transmission of security information permit placement of a multitude of security sensors throughout a residence without a need for running wires back to a central control panel. Inexpensive wireless cameras also allow for placement of cameras throughout a residence to enable easy monitoring of the residence. A variety of home automation control protocols have also been developed to allow for centralized remote control of lights, appliances, and environmental apparatuses (e.g., thermostats). Traditionally, each of these security, monitoring and automation protocols require separate programming, control and monitoring stations. To the extent that home automation and monitoring systems have been coupled to home security systems, such coupling has involved including the automation and monitoring systems as slaves to the existing home security system. This limits the flexibility and versatility of the automation and monitoring systems and ties such systems to proprietary architectures.
A security system alerts occupants of a dwelling and emergency authorities of a violation of premises secured by the system. A typical legacy security system includes a controller connected by wireless or wired connections to sensors deployed at various locations throughout the secured dwelling. In a home, sensors are usually deployed in doorways, windows, and other points of entry. Motion sensors can also be placed strategically within the home to detect unauthorized movement, while smoke and heat sensors can detect the presence of fire.
A home monitoring system provides an ability to monitor a status of a home so that a user can be made aware of any monitored state changes. For example, when a sensor is tripped, real-time alerts and associated data such as video or photo clips can be sent to the user (e.g., to a network-connected computer or to a mobile device).
A home automation system enables automation and remote control of lifestyle conveniences such as lighting, heating, cooling, and appliances. Typically these various lifestyle conveniences are coupled to a controller via wireless or wired communications protocols. A central device is then used to program the various lifestyle conveniences.
Rather than having multiple devices to control each of the security, monitoring and automation environments, it is desirable to have a centralized controller capable of operating in each environment, thereby reducing the equipment needed in a dwelling. It is further desirable for such a controller to function as a gateway for external network access so that a user can control or monitor devices in locations remote from the dwelling. It is further desirable for such a combined controller and gateway to provide configurable flexibility in how devices in the various environments are monitored and controlled.
The flexibility offered by such a configurable controller suggests that a variety of sensors, monitoring devices and automation devices can be needed for any specific installation in a residence or other secured environment. Typically, security sensors are identified with locations in secured premises by being identified with zone information. Zone information includes not only location within premises but also a sensor type. In order for an alarm monitoring central station to be able to properly notify responders to a sensor alarm event, the central station must be informed about the sensor zone configuration of the security system. Typically, a central station is informed of sensor zone information by an installing technician through the use of a telephone communication or a separate login to the central station, which is time and resource consuming. For example, as much as half of an installation time can be consumed with interaction between the installing technician and the central station, much of which is exchange of sensor and zone configuration information.
It is therefore desirable for a controller to provide automated reporting of configuration of sensors coupled to the controller and their associated zones to not only a provider of the security, monitoring and automation controller but also that a central station responsible for reporting sensor alarm events to responders receive that information as well. In addition, it is also desirable for subscriber account information to be provided to the central station. Subscriber account information can include information about the subscriber needed by the central station, as well as alarm contacts, secret words, and other passwords.